Choc Honeycomb Slice:

250g malt biscuits
4 x 50g Violet Crumble bars
600mL thickened cream
395g can NESTLÉ Sweetened Condensed Milk

1. Grease and line two 18 x 28cm lamington pans with baking paper. Layer biscuits over base of prepared pans.
2. In an electric mixer, whisk cream until firm peaks form, pour in NESTLÉ Sweetened Condensed Milk, and continue beating until firm. Crush three VIOLET CRUMBLE bars, and fold into cream mixture.
3. Pour cream mixture over malt biscuits in prepared pans. Crush remaining VIOLET CRUMBLE bar, sprinkle half over the top of each pan. Place in freezer overnight or until set. Cut into squares.

Juicy Roasted Chicken

Juicy Roasted Chicken

Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 40 Minutes Servings: 6

"A couple of simple ingredients with no-fuss prep make a roast chicken that many swear is the juiciest they've ever eaten."

INGREDIENTS:

1 (3 pound) whole chicken, giblets removed salt and black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon onion powder, or to taste 1/2 cup margarine, divided 1 stalk celery, leaves removed

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	Place chicken in a roasting pan, and season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Sprinkle inside and out with onion powder. Place 3 tablespoons margarine in the chicken cavity. Arrange dollops of the remaining margarine around the chicken's exterior. Cut the celery into 3 or 4 pieces, and place in the chicken cavity.
3.	Bake uncovered 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove from heat, and baste with melted margarine and drippings. Cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest about 30 minutes before serving.

Crunchy Quesadilla Stack

Crunchy Quesadilla Stack 

Ingredients

• 1 can (10 oz each) Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 small avocado, pitted, peeled, chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions (1/4 cup = about 2 onions)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 can (16 oz each) Rosarita® Traditional Refried Beans
• 10 flour tortillas (6 inch)
• 5 corn tostada shells (6-inch)
• PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray 

Directions

1. Combine drained tomatoes, cheese, avocado, green onions and garlic salt in medium bowl; blend well.
2. Spread 1/3 cup refried beans over entire surface of 5 flour tortillas; top each with tostada shell. Spoon tomato mixture evenly over shells; top each with a remaining flour tortilla to make 5 quesadillas stacks.
3. Spray large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Brown both sides of each quesadilla stack in skillet until golden brown. Cut each into 4 wedges to serve.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 5

Strawberry Banana Ice Pops

Strawberry Banana Ice Pops

Makes 4.

Ingredients

1 heaping cup of strawberries

½ cup of yogurt

2 Tablespoons agave syrup (or honey, maple syrup, or nothing)

½  banana

Directions

1.       Blend strawberries and 1 Tablespoon of agave syrup (if using) in a blender or food processor.

2.       In a small bowl, stir the yogurt with 1 Tablespoon of the strawberry puree and 1 Tablespoon of agave syrup.

3.       Fill ice pop molds with strawberry puree and yogurt (alternating to make layers) and slices of bananas and strawberries.

4.       Insert sticks and freeze for 4 hours or until frozen.  Run under hot water to release.

Before freezing

Meatballs Stroganoff

From: MenuMusings

Add the meatballs when the oil and pan are HOT!  

Frozen Italian style meatballs (1/2 ounce size)

brown them.

That looks about right now.

Deglaze with 2 cups beef broth.
 * If you don't have beef broth in a can or box, you can use hot water and a beef flavored bouillon or flavor booster.   

  You'll see lots of steam.  That's what makes it pick up all those great flavors.

Season it up liberally!

dried basil

dried oregano

a generous pinch of kosher salt

black pepper

Let it just simmer away.   All the flavors are coming together.

 Don't forget to start the noodles!

I am using "No Yolks" egg noodles.

Add the heavy cream.

   *If you don't have any heavy cream, you can use plain milk.... Add a heaping teaspoon of cornstarch to the cold milk to make a slurry, then add it.

You'll see all of those great seasoning start to float around.  Bring to a full boil so the thickeners can work.

 Add the sour cream.  I'm using a reduced fat sour cream.  If using cream cheese as well, add it now.

 Yum.

Now add in the cooked, drained noodles.  And you are done!  Turn off the heat and serve.  

If you will not be serving this immediately, consider leaving it soupier.  The pasta will soak up a lot of the juice, and you don't want it to be dry.

This looks suspiciously like a frozen dinner dish that my little kids like.  But much healthier because I made it and I know what's in there!

The real way it looks.... without any fancy photography.  

Baked Lasagna Rolls

• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 lb. lasagna noodles, cooked according to the package instructions and cooled
• 1 recipe homemade marinara sauce, or 1 jar prepared marinara sauce

Combine ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well to combine. Spread approximately 3 tablespoons of the mixture on the short end of each sheet of pasta, and then roll each sheet tightly. Place the rolls in a greased 9×13″ baking dish, overlapping the edges as needed to fit all of the rolls into the pan.

Pour the marinara sauce over the rolls, making sure the sauce covers the rolls completely. Top with the remaining 1-1/2 cups of mozzarella. Cover the pan with a sheet of foil.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes before uncovering and baking an additional 5-10 minutes. Allow the dish to rest 10 minutes before serving.

Skinny Sausage and Corn Chowder

Ingredients

• 1 lb pound bulk pork sausage
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• ½ red bell pepper, diced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• salt
• pepper
• ½ teaspoon Thyme
• ¼ teaspoon Rosemary
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded, hash browned potatoes (frozen)
• 12 oz frozen corn
• 12 oz evaporated milk
• 1 cup shredded white cheddar (I used Cracker Barrel)

Instructions

1. In a large stockpot brown sausage, breaking up large pieces as it cooks. Stir in garlic and onions. Cook until sausage is no longer pink. Drain. Return pot to heat and sprinkle sausage with flour. Add salt, pepper, Thyme, and Rosemary. Stir over heat for one minute. Add chicken broth, potatoes and corn. Bring soup to a boil. Cover and heat on low for 15 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk and shredded cheese. Stir until cheese has melted. Serve immediately.